Almost three-quarters of a century ago, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip were married. A marriage that has endured a lot.
“He was simply my strength and my support throughout the years.” This is how Queen Elizabeth II describes her husband, Prince Philip, on their golden wedding anniversary in 1997. On November 20, the couple will celebrate their 73rd wedding anniversary.
Elizabeth fell in love with Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, five years her senior, at the age of 13. When he asked for her hand in 1946, his father, King George VI, was not thrilled.
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Legend:
Young love
Elizabeth meets Prince Philip at the wedding of her uncle and Marina of Greece and Denmark. The latter is Philips’ cousin. Elizabeth was eight years old at the time. Five years later, they meet again at the Royal Naval College in Dartmouth and become pen pals until Philip proposes the hand of the Crown Princess in 1946.
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Legend:
I do not kiss
In 1947, Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh were married. The wedding does not end with a kiss from the couple. This only became a tradition in 1981 with the kiss of Prince Charles and Princess Diana.
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Legend:
A piece of normality
After their wedding and before Elizabeth became queen, the young couple lived in Malta for two years. Prince Philip was stationed there with the Royal Navy. It was the only time that today’s queen was allowed to lead an almost civil life.
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Legend:
Windsor or Mountbatten?
In 1960, Queen Elizabeth campaigned for her children to bear the surname “Mountbatten-Windsor” in the future. Years before, Prince Philip expressed the wish that his descendants also carry his surname.
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Legend:
From German to English
Prince Philips’ surname “Mountbatten” is the English form of “von Battenberg”. In 1917 the name was changed. The surname of the British royal family is also changed in the same year. The family was previously called “Saxe-Coburg und Gotha”. During World War I, the German-sounding name was changed to “Windsor”.
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Legend:
Married to His Majesty
Prince Philip is by her side throughout the queen’s reign. He is the first to swear allegiance to her at her coronation in 1953. Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, said in an interview that it is extraordinary to have a man who supports the queen in public and behind closed doors.
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Legend:
Relaxation comes with age
In 2012, Prince Philip officially retires. Since then, the queen has had to attend public events alone. But from time to time her husband accompanies her anyway. During their rare appearances together, the two seem more and more relaxed in recent years. So they often shake hands or even kiss on the cheek.
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Prince Philip was born in Greece and is a Dane with ties to Germany, which is not welcome in postwar England. Determined to marry the princess, he renounces all his previous titles and takes the surname Mountbatten from his maternal grandparents.
On November 20, 1947, the two were married at Westminster Abbey in London. King George appoints Philippe Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth and Baron Greenwich that same night.
